SUMATRA. 



flituted originally the Eajl India company. It is given at length 

 by Purchas *. 



In confcquence of this, that able failor James Lancajlery Sir James 



Lancaster. 



afterwards Sir Jafiies, was fent there, and failed from Torbay on 

 April 2d, 1601. He commanded the Dragon of fix hundred 

 tons, and had with him the He&or of three hundred, the Afcen~ 

 Jlon of two hundred and fixty, and one more. Her Highnefs 

 fi;rniflied her general, as he was called, with letters to divers of 

 the eaftern potentates, among others, one to the king oi Acheen^ 

 the chief and firll: objeft of the voyage. He did not arrive at Su- 

 matra till May 2d, 1602. The fame of Elizabeth''^, vidtories over 

 the Spaniards had reached the king's ears, and in confequence 

 Lancajler was moft favorably received ; he prefented gifts of great 

 value on the part of his miftrefs, and received others in return. 

 The Fortuguefe did all in their power to prevent a good under- 

 ftanding between the Englijh and the king, but to no purpofe. 

 Lancajler even made a fhort cruife, and took a rich fliip from 

 Saint 'Tbo7ne on the Coromandel coaft, belonging to the Portu^ 

 guefe, which was deemed a lawful prize, that kingdom being 

 then in pofleflion of our great enemy Philip II. Our general got 

 in part of his lading of pepper in this illand ; the reft in Ma- 

 lacca\ and after obtaining many valuable privileges from the 

 king of Acheen, returned with a moft friendly letter from the 

 Sumatran prince. He met with a dreadful ftorm oft" Mada- 

 gafcar ; in the midft of the confufion, he thought of the fervices 

 he might render to his country by this remarkable notice : " The 

 *' palTage to the Eajl Indies lies in 62 degrees 30 minutes, by the 



* Pilgrimage, vol. i. p. 139., 



YoL. IV. D « north- 



17 



